Could my child have Cerebral Palsy?
I have noticed that my child doesn’t seem to be physically developing like his brother did. He was a little premature but doctors said he was fine. I am worried he could have cerebral palsy but don’t really understand what it is and how I can tell.
Cerebral Palsy is a motor condition that affect a child’s physical development. It is an umbrella term incorporating a group of conditions, which affects various areas of body movement. The condition limits movement and posture but also can be accompanied by disturbances of sensation, sight-based perceptual problems, communication difficulty and cognitive impairment. It is also generally accompanied by secondary musculoskeletal (muscle and bone) problems.
Cerebral palsy is caused by the developing brain being damaged either during pregnancy, during childbirth or after birth up to the age of 3. It is called cerebral palsy because the part of the brain that is affected is the cerebrum. The cerebrum is a very important part of the brain which controls cognitive function but also body movement. Palsy refers to the subsequent movement disorder that is caused by the damage.
The symptoms and severity of cerebral palsy vary a lot depending on the amount and location of brain damage. The two main types include: spastic cerebral palsy where the child has muscle stiffness and may require leg braces and ataxic cerebral palsy where there balance and depth perception is affected making them seem clumsy and uncoordinated.
If a child’s birth was traumatic, they were born premature or there is other reason to believe their brain could have been damaged during pregnancy or birth, doctors may suspect cerebral palsy and will observe babies closely. However, many signs and symptoms are not easily visible at birth. Often it is parents that start to notice developmental delay in their children in the first five years of life as the brain and child develop. The most common early sign of cerebral palsy is a delay in reaching key growth milestones, such as rolling over, sitting-up, crawling and walking.
If you see signs that your child is not developing properly it is important to talk to your GP. Even if your child’s birth was normal trauma or infection in pregnancy can cause damage to a baby’s brain and cerebral palsy can even be caused by a mutation in the genes that helps a baby’s brain develop. A doctor will check your baby’s reflexes, posture, motor skills and muscle tone before deciding whether to investigate the possibility of cerebral palsy. Of course all babies develop differently and there can be lots of reasons your child is physically developing a little slower.
Integrated Treatment Services have a range of therapists: speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and arts psychotherapists, who are highly skilled in working with clients with Cerebral Palsy. If you are worried about your child’s development or your child has been recently diagnosed with cerebral palsy then please ‘Ask us a question’ and our team of specialists will respond immediately, you can call us on: 0845 838 2921 or email: info@integratedtreatments.co.uk. They can listen to your concerns and talk you through the possible options in how we can help support you and your child.
Laura Oldakowksa
Speech and Language Therapist
